This is a guest post by Nathalie Lussier of The Raw Foods Witch
Do you feel tired, unnecessarily distracted, or just frustrated at work? What if it were possible to change the way you feel about your work by changing the way your body operates at work. The premise is that by eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, you’re going to experience positive results at work.
The concept of raw food may appear daunting at first, but it’s one of the simplest ways of eating for health. Everyone knows that fresh fruits and vegetables are good for you, and raw food just takes that to the next level by recommending a diet of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds that have not been heated above 112F.(Karl's Note: Nathalie explains why you shouldn't cook food about 112F on her site, "The reason being that food heated above 112 Fahrenheit loses some of its digestive enzymes.")
The concept of raw is so powerful because it eliminates certain foods that are bad for your health, such as processed sugar and starch. Here are 5 good reasons why you might want to eat a raw food diet until dinner, and that includes eating raw at work.
1. More Energy
One of the first things that happen when someone increases their intake of raw food (and reduces their intake of processed sugars, processed starch, meat, and dairy) is the increased energy. Your body doesn’t need to spend as much time and energy digesting food anymore, so you get that excess in the form of vitality and a feel-good buzz.
(Note: The energy usually only shows up after a spell of detox. That’s perfectly normal and there are ways to help your body out during these bouts of detoxification.)
2. No Mid-afternoon Slump
When you have a heavy meal for lunch, you get that groggy tired feeling in mid-afternoon. That’s what happens when your body sends all its troops to do digestion work.
With raw food, you’re getting all of the digestive enzymes necessary to digest your meals. That gives your body a break and allows you to keep functioning without turning to stimulating substances such as caffeine.
3. Increased Mental Clarity
Along with the spurt in energy, usually comes a form of increased mental clarity. For some people it feels like a fog is lifted, others just sleep better and can think better. Raw food is like putting the optimal fuel in your body, without diluting it with a bunch of “fillers” so that your brain and body can go to max speeds.
You’re able to think more clearly, make great decisions under pressure, and keep the stress off. That alone is a great reason to eat raw in the workplace, and you will realize the benefits immediately.
4. Potential for Saving Money
If you eat out during lunch most days, eating a raw food meal instead could potentially save you tons of money. A meal out can cost between $5 to $10 per day, whereas a homemade raw salad can be made for pennies on the dollar.
If you are currently going to cheaper fast food joints, you might not see eating raw as saving money. However, your health will be the payment you get in the long run for eating fresh foods instead of mass produced bionic burgers.
5. Fun, Encouragement, Support
If you approach raw food with a positive attitude, you can make the whole thing fun, enjoyable, and bring your coworkers in on the fun. Whenever someone tries something new and different, there’s a bit of resistance from friends and family members.
Making raw food something light and experimental turns it into a challenge and your coworkers will cheer you on. Soon you can have the support of those closest to you, while teaching them about the benefits of healthy eating.
I mean, who doesn’t want a workplace filled with happy, energetic, clear thinking individuals?
If you’re interested in learning more about eating raw food (whether that means 100% raw or not, it doesn’t matter) you can visit me, Nathalie Lussier at The Raw Foods Witch. I take the spookiness out of raw food, so you can enjoy the magick.
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If you want to learn more about raw foods, check out another one of my favorite bloggers. Michelle of Healing With Raw Juices.
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This is excellent information, Nathalie! And I am very, very honored that you mentioned me. Thank you!
I love how you encourage others to just have an open mind about eating more raw foods. That way they won’t be scared about the thought of being 100% raw.:)
*smiles*
Michele
aka Raw Juice Girl
Some time ago my company stoped giving us some luncheon checks to use to buy lunch. Since eating out is so expensive where we work, I'm a vegetarian and my delivery options are limited, it meant that I had to start preparing my own lunch and bring it with me.
I started experimenting going rawer and I have found that it's A LOT easier for a time-starved person like me to prepare raw lunches (even in Winter) than cooked food. Even at home, I find it a lot faster to go raw than to cook (needless to say, I don't like cooking).
Most raw food you have to prepare from scratch every day, it's not like you can cook on weekends, freeze it and thaw it for dinner later on. Yet it's easier once you're organized (I had to took a class on how to organize my kitchen, menu planning and grocery shopping for 1 person).
It's a time saver, it's healthier (my snacks now are apples which, depending where you buy them, are cheaper per piece than cereal bars) and it shows in my energy and my skin (finer lines ladies!).
I'm not 100% raw but that's no reason why you can't enjoy going raw part of the week.
Nathalie, what's that pepper stuffed with? Sprouts, avocado and what else?
@Michele: Absolutely! It's all about giving it a try, and not being intimidated by drastic 100% raw changes. 🙂
@Claudia: I've found the same to be true for myself as well. My boyfriend and his family used to cook every night and make tons of extras so they could bring them to work. But that was really twice the amount of cooking time needed, whereas a raw meal can be quickly made.
You can also make some raw stuff on week-ends and use it throughout the week, like pates, sauces, dips, and dressings. 🙂
The pepper is stuffed with a pate, made from blended nuts and other goodies. 🙂
The mid afternoon slump has been a killer for me lately. Thanks for the post, it is very timely, as I find most of the posts here.
I've got a co-worker who is a big raw eater. Looks like I need to start taking a book out of his page.
I mean page out of his book 🙂
Karl,
What an awesome guest you have here today!!
Nathalie,
You know, I often eat mostly raw for lunch, and I've definitely found that when I do, the early afternoon hours which can sometimes feel sluggish - ends up being much for "clear" and "fresh" for me. And I just feel better (that alone right there should be enough for me to do it more often, you'd think!). Nathalie, I love how you're getting this information out there, makeing mroe people aware of what these raw foods can do for you.
I like your rundown of the "why's." What are some simple ways to thrive raw style when you're on the go?
@Lance: I had the same realization about that afternoon slump. I always wanted to take a nap in the afternoon, or found myself procrastinating more due to lower energy. With a raw lunch and breakfast that's a lot less likely to happen. Wooohoo!
@Scott: That's cute "a book out his page." 🙂 You're so right too, sometimes you find the right type of information/blog post just when you need it most! Glad that's the case.
@J.D.: A couple of things to do to make an on-the-go lifestyle work raw is to bring food with you if you can. So bringing a bottle with a green smoothie in it can last you a few hours of sustained energy. Or even simple things like grabbing some fruit (apple, banana, grapes, etc) and maybe a handful of trail mix or nuts can always do you good. Maybe keep some of these dry snacks on hand in the car, or ready to go by the door. 🙂
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